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Are you new to the CCDI? We would like to get to know you! Bring along your product and share your business challenges with us. This workshop will help us to refer you into the best support programme for your unique needs.

CORE BUSINESS SUPPORT WORKSHOPS

Bizz Buzz: You and Your Product in the Market

Marketing and Selling: Level 1

Description: Is your product ready for market? Are there similar or comparable products in the market? How are they priced, packaged and merchandised? This introduction to the market workshop will help you understand the market and competitors, where your product fits in, and identify the way forward within your skill set and goals.

Recommended: Participant should have a product or prototype.

Outcomes:

Awareness of the role of your product in relation to eight areas of business.

Awareness of the value of doing market research and an ability to research similar or comparable products in the market and identify the correct target market for your products.

Ability to reflect on your product/s, business skills and goals; and identify the way forward to achieving success.

Business Vision

Business Management: Level 1

Description: Do you have a vision for your business? Are you still on track with the vision you had for yourself when you started? Have you got business goals to work towards? This workshop will help you to clarify your vision and help you to identify and set goals to work towards in achieving your vision.

Recommended: None

Outcomes:

Awareness of the link between personal vision and business vision.

Awareness of the value of a vision for their business and its impact on subsequent decision making.

Ability to clarify and articulate your personal and business Vision, Mission and Values Proposition.

Ability to identify and set realistic achievable goals to work towards in achieving your business vision.

Business Map – Setting up my business: Business Orientation

Business Management: Level 1

Description: Whether you are dreaming of exporting your product all over the world or selling it at local markets you will need to identify the best business structure for your needs, a marketing strategy, financial plan, production plan and operations plan. This introduction to business workshop covers all eight areas of business i.e. Individual capacity; Strategic vision; Product; Production capacity; Sales, distribution and marketing; Business systems and HR; Financial Management; and Communication. It will help you to create your own road map to your business success.

Recommended: None

Outcomes

Raised awareness of the eight areas of business and the need to address all of them.

Understand how to develop business structures and how to register your business.

Understand how business tax works.

Learn about financial management.

Develop ethical business practices.

Writing a business map – goals and actions for the eight areas of business.

The Best Game – Intro to Managing Money

Financial Management: Level 1

Description: Using a simulated business game, you will learn about how money works, and how the choices and decisions you make affect the success or failure of your business in a safe environment.

Recommended: Prototype or Finished product

Outcomes

Understand the value of planning.

Understand the flow of money.

Understand the need to keep accurate records.

Determine how the allocation of capital affects a business.

Determine how to raise profits through creating value and selling.

Determine the impact of unplanned expenses and penalties for reckless spending on the business.

Understand the dangers of selling on credit and its effect on business.

Learn how to sell and negotiate with suppliers and clients when placing order and selling products.

Business to Customer Selling

Marketing and Selling: Level 2

Description: Selling is the central activity of any business – without sales the business does not exist. This workshop will equip your with a range of techniques that will help you communicate about your product as part of your marketing and sales drive.

Recommended: Finished product

Outcomes:

Ability to use communication techniques for marketing and sales in order to present yourself in a professional manner.

Learn about selling techniques.

Ability to do conduct direct sales.

Learn skills to master interpersonal communication.

Learn skills to master negotiation.

Learn to set sales targets and goals.

Ability to establish and maintain good customer relations.

Managing My Money

Financial Management: Level 2

Description: Using a system of record keeping developed specifically for designers and craft producers, learn how to keep basic records, how to cost and price your products and develop pricelists to ensure that you are making a profit.

Recommended: Prototype or Finished product

Outcomes:

Costing and Pricing

Time Studies

Weighted Gross Profit Percentages

Break-Even Analysis

Order / Production

Wholesale and Retail Pricelists

Billing Templates

Record Keeping

Managing your Stock Control

Brand Identity and Logo Development

Marketing and Selling: Level 2

Description: Your logo is the signature of your business. This workshop will help you find a way to identify your business in its simplest form by using amark or icon that has impact and conveys your message. The workshop will also teach you how to develop a brand identity and a logo design that speaks to your target market and packaging.

Recommended: A finished product and a business vision.

Outcomes:

Understand branding and how branding concepts apply to your business.

Understand the importance of packaging and how it relates to your brand identity.

Ability to develop a marketing presence through the use of branding and promotion.

Ability to start developing a Brand Identity for your business.

Develop a basic template for a logo design and learn the design language to communicate with a graphic designer.

Marketing and Brand Strategy

Marketing and Selling: Level 3

Description: Understanding who your target market is the first step to selling your product. In this workshop you will learn about the four P’s of marketing, develop a marketing strategy and learn how to sell your product.

Recommended: A finished product and clear brand identity.

Outcomes:

Understand the 4 P’s of marketing.

Develop a marketing strategy based on the 4 P’s of marketing.

Develop a selling strategy based on the 4 P’s of marketing.

Understand factors that affect price.

Identify the different forms of business communication/ marketing tools and the most appropriate ones to use for your business.

Ability to establish and maintain good customer relations.

Understanding My Financial Statements

Financial Management: Level 3

Description: Do you keep financial records? Are you able to read your financial statements and make decisions about your business and products based on what they tell you? This workshop will assist you with how to make informed business management decisions based on what your money is doing.

Recommended: Financial records are kept, costing and pricing is in place.

Outcomes:

Understand basic costing terms: direct, indirect, fixed & variable.

Introduction to Income Statements.

Introduction to Balance Sheets.

Market Ready – Get your business systems ready to facilitate sales

Business Management: Level 3

Description: Are you ready for market? Do you have all your business management systems in place to support you making sales? This workshop will prepare you for the market. It covers: retail from a buyer’s perspective, a field trip of various retail outlets, a product review, packing and packaging your product, logistics and admin, putting together a catalogue and price lists, as well as production processes and capacity.

Recommended: Costing and pricing must be in place. You have a Business Vision, Business Map, and a Marketing Strategy and clear Brand Identity.

Outcomes:

Awareness of different retail environments.

Awareness of different target markets and how this impacts on your business and product.

Awareness of the importance of packing and packaging when engaging in the market.

Learn about business admin tools that support selling: admin, invoices, order book, terms and conditions, record of sales, recon sales, etc.

GENERAL BUSINESS WORKSHOPS

DIY product photography (with Eric Miller)

This workshop is only suitable for those who have access to their own camera with manual operation. Participants will learn how to properly operate and control their cameras. You will also learn how to set up a basic mini desktop studio using materials generally available in the home, in order to improve your product photographs for your website, catalogues and brochures, and to apply for competitions and market support opportunities.

Outcomes:

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to :

Understand the basic mechanics of a camera, in order to operate a camera on manual settings and produce a properly exposed image by manipulating ISO, shutter and aperture settings.

Understand and apply the basic principles of photography such as Depth of Field, movement, focus, blur etc. and use these to improve the quality of their photos.

Understand and apply the basic principles of composition in order to improve the quality of their photos.

Participants will learn to apply basic principles of lighting using materials generally available at home, and be able to construct/set up a basic desktop home studio in which to better photograph their own products.

Business Administration

Have you ever been asked for a document urgently that you can’t find? Setting up good record keeping and admin systems is essential for the smooth running and growth of your business. Learn about what you should be keeping, how long you should be keeping it for and the best systems for keeping and accessing important information.

Tax

Are you tax compliant? Do you have a tax clearance certificate? This workshop will help you to face your fears and understand why it’s so important to get registered.

Social Media

Is social media part of your marketing strategy? This workshop is strongly focused on craft producers and is designed to help you use social media optimally as a means with which to promote your services globally. The workshop covers: Understanding Social Media, developing an online marketing strategy, how to set up a Facebook page, how to set up a Twitter account, developing content for the digital space, e-commerce: Integrating Pinterest and Etsy and how to increase the followers on your social media platforms.

Recommended: Marketing strategy that includes Social Media

Closing the dealUnderstanding who your target market is, is the first step to selling your product. Learn about the four P’s of marketing, develop a marketing strategy and learn how to sell your product.

E-Commerce

Are you thinking of selling your product online? Global shopping is going to be the next growth element in e-commerce. This workshop uses the backdrop of the South African market as a platform to learn in a local space, exploring the logistical and legal implications so that businesses can grow with the future international trend and develop their online presence in a supported way.

Business Support

A guide for craft producers, designers and other creatives takes you through each step of the process of developing, producing and selling your product - while building your business. It is packed with photographs, stories and examples to inspire you and expand your thinking about your product and your market. There are also lots of activities and practical advice so you can take action and get sales.

The sections show you what you need to do to start and grow a small business in South Africa. And to help you be sure you are making money out of your products, the Business Guide shows you how to do careful costing and pricing, and offers simple systems for proper record keeping.